Book reviews and recommendations from a self confessed book geek

Tea with Mrs B: Beth Prentice

Welcome to Tea with Mrs B, an author interview series. Here to share a pot of tea and to chat about her brand new book, Untamed Destinies: A Romance Anthology – out today, is Beth Prentice.

Beth Prentice is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the Westport Mysteries. Killer Unleashed, her GHP debut novel, received a bronze medal in the 2016 Readers Favorite International Book Awards.
She was born in Manchester, England, but after moving backwards and forwards across the world 13 times in 14 years she decided that at the age of 18 that Australia was to be her home. She now lives on the beautiful Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia where every day is a good one. She is the lucky mother of two grown up children, and, along with her ever-patient husband, she is the proud but sometimes flustered owner of four dogs, a cat, and a canary. She has always had a love of reading, and even though her background is in accounting, she has now discovered her love of writing. Her main wish is to write books you can sit back, relax with, and escape from your everyday life…and ones that you walk away from with a smile! When she’s not writing you will usually find her at the beach with a coffee in hand, pursuing her favorite pastime –people watching!

Hello Beth. It is my pleasure to welcome you to my blog, Mrs B’s Book Reviews. Thank you for joining me for Tea with Mrs B, an author interview series. To set the mood for our tea infused interview, what is your preferred beverage, tea, coffee or other? And side accompaniment, scone, cake or other?

I do enjoy a good cup of tea, or a hot chocolate, but in my heart I’m a coffee girl. Side accompaniment? Anything sweet or chocolate!

Can you tell us what genres you write for and how many books you have had published?

I write funny romantic mysteries. So far I have five cozy mysteries published and three romantic suspense novels, but all are really light hearted and dosed with romance and a lot of humour.

Untamed Destinies: A Romance Anthology will shortly be released. Can you describe the book in just a sentence?

It’s three uniquely different stories from three genres, all bundled together with a ribbon of love.

Untamed Destinies: A Romance Anthology was co written with Kim Petersen and Catherine Evans, can you tell us more about how you went about writing and collaborating on this book?

This book came about over a phone chat between Kim and I. She had just met Catherine and we had the idea that we could release an anthology in time for Valentines Day. As we all write in different genres we thought it would be a great way to give readers some variety. It’s been so much fun and these two ladies are not only amazing authors, they are amazing to work with!

What was the most challenging and rewarding aspects of writing Untamed Destinies: A Romance Anthology?

The most challenging for me, was word count. I struggled to keep it under the 25k that we had decided upon, lol. The most rewarding was being able to pull off a romance. I normally write mystery/romance where the balance is fifty fifty. Even though my part of this anthology still has that mystery element, it was written solely as a romance. I was excited with what I created!

What do you hope readers will take away from reading Untamed Destinies: A Romance Anthology?

A few hours of escape, enjoyment, and a whole lot of love.

Can you tell us about your journey to publication?

It’s been a really fun and rewarding journey. I only started writing about 6 years ago. I wanted to write down some family stories that my mum told me about my grandma and her adventures during the last world war. However, when I sat down a fiction novel evolved. This book was my first self-published book Dangerous Deeds. After than I wrote another novel Killer Unleashed, submitted it to Gemma Halliday Publishing and was shocked when she sent me a contract for publication. I’ve gone on to write 4 more stories for her as well as finishing the 3 novel series that I self-published. What I’ve learned in this industry is just how lovely everyone is. I haven’t come across a single person that isn’t willing to help in some way, and I love it!

Can you tell us about your creative working space, where do you write and is there anything vital you need to get started?

I have a bedroom in my home that is set up as my office. If I could take a photo right now, it would show the four dogs that I have at my feet, the Canary in his cage behind me, and the two guinea pigs my daughter rescued then decided that the back garden was far too hot for them, lol. The only thing I need for writing is for the house to be reasonably quiet. I’m not very good at creating characters when people are chatting nearby. It’s far too distracting and I already procrastinate enough!

What is next on the horizon for Beth Prentice? Do you have any writing projects you would like to share with us?

I’m presently working on the third book in one of my cozy mystery series, but once that’s done I want to finish a novel I started last year. It only has a working title at the moment – Molly’s Story, but it follows the journey of Molly, who was a secondary character in the Westport Mysteries.

Finally, wrapping up our tea themed interview, who would you most like to share a pot of tea with?

I couldn’t choose just one! I would love to sit down with a few of my favourite authors and pick their brains. Mostly Janet Evanovich, Sophie Kinsella, and I would LOVE to meet my publisher Gemma Halliday in person.

Thank you for taking the time to visit Mrs B’s Book Reviews for Tea with Mrs B Beth. Congratulations on the publication of Untamed Destinies: A Romance Anthology!

Sometimes, love is inescapable

Snuggle up, relax, and prepare to fall in love as you journey through three of the most romantic tales you might ever experience!

Untamed Destinies is 3 uniquely different novellas, with differing heat levels, and different genres, but at the core of them all is finding your soul mate.Catherine Evans writes a gorgeous rural romance, Kim Petersen drifts into the mystical world of paranormal, and Beth Prentice pens a sweet romance with a touch of mystery. Together we’ve created a book where the reader can escape into diverse worlds with contrasting styles, and hopefully discover their next favourite author.

The Ivory Veil:

Does Grandma really know best?

Gracie Saunders loves her job at The Ivory Veil Bridal Boutique. She loves matching the perfect dress to the perfect bride, and she loves how the veil can show a woman what a bride really looks like. But when the boutique is bought by the one man she hates, suddenly her life is turned upside down.

Throw in a long-standing family feud, a mysterious wedding gown, and the blurred lines between love and hate, and Gracie finds herself in the middle of a web of complications.

Can she separate her feelings long enough to see what’s real? Or will she be out of a job and single forever?

Wildflower:

When it’s real, can you walk away?

Arie is happy – life is good and she wants for nothing. That is, until she flies to New York city and discovers a soul connection so deep, she can’t look away.

Charly is everything Arie never knew she wanted – he opens her mind to a beautiful soul dance that takes her so high, her world begins to unravel beneath her feet as she is faced with confronting reality.

The problem? They’re both married, but that’s not all.

Can Arie risk everything for a love deeper than anything she ever wanted, or will the dream die along with the truth?

You’ll fall head over heels in love after catching a storm while running.

New to town, in a stressful job, Tamara Hancock jogs daily for her sanity. When she comes across a riderless horse, memories of her childhood flood back, including her grandmother’s odd prediction.

Rob Richmond wasn’t paying attention when his horse, Storm, dumped him into the ocean. With a suspected broken collarbone and ankle, he’s not sure how he’ll get home until Storm arrives with a woman who is part guardian angel, part Amazonian warrior, and all horse whisperer.

Thanks so much Helen and I’m really pleased to hear you enjoyed this interview, it was great to chat with Beth. I have an interview with Kim on Friday to discuss Untamed Destinies. I hope you can tune in. Thanks for supporting Untamed Destinies!

What a great interview! I love the Sunshine Coast, it really is a gorgeous part of the world! And four dogs, wow!
I have this anthology on my Kindle app, I’m looking forward to reading two new to me authors (both stories sound like my cup of tea or coffee or hot chocolate, lol, – love a bit of mystery and paranormal) and Catherine I know not only through her books but having met her in person as well, such a lovely lady and easy to talk to, I can’t wait to read another rural story by her!

Thanks Sue and so glad to hear you enjoyed this interview. It’s always interesting to find out about the lives behind our beloved writers! i’m pleased to hear you have a copy if the anthology too. The three stories all sound a little different. Catherine is lovely, We connected via email and will be working on a Tea with Mrs B at some stage this year, time pending!